2012 GMC Terrain Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2012 GMC Terrain most often write about engine oil consumption, frequently described as needing a quart of oil every few hundred to a couple thousand miles, with no low-oil warning before stalling or engine damage. Many complaints also describe windshield wipers stopping in rain, and some describe stalling, rough running, or transmission and engine-noise concerns. Reported mileage is typically in the 60,000-150,000 range.

1. 1
   Engine

   Excessive engine oil consumption

   • 107 complaints (29%)
   • median 88,980 mi at 7.1 yrs old (68 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,400 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe having to add oil frequently, sometimes a quart every 500-1,000 miles, often without a low-oil warning light until the level is very low. Complaints describe the vehicle stalling, running rough, setting camshaft and misfire codes, or developing a knock, after which dealers or independent shops reported the engine needed replacement. Several mention piston rings as the stated cause and difficulties getting coverage for the repairs. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 150,000 miles, often noticed between oil changes.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the dipstick and ask for oil-change records or a consumption test; a quart-per-few-hundred-miles habit is the pattern owners describe. Also ask whether any engine or piston-ring work has already been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Pistons are bad and dealership at 16400 w colfax ave,golden co 80401 refuses to replace and oil consumption is to much. This problem has been going on for to long I was told by management after I paid for a high pressure fuel pump replacement if the problem was still there it would be fixed at no charge to me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11365029, filed 2020-10, 147,693 miles

   “Complete motor failure, engine oil loose, complete loose of control. While driving down the highway, this vehicle had a sudden oil loose, no warning lights came on causing my spouse to loose all control of the vehicle nearly incurring a head on collision on a local highway at speed of 60mph. We had to have to vehicle towed to a local shop and is no longer drivable and the motor is ruined. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11301827, filed 2020-01, 83,000 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop working

   • 76 complaints (21%)
   • median 90,612 mi at 6.9 yrs old (58 state mileage)
   • filed 2015–2023

   Owners describe the wipers stopping mid-stroke in rain, sometimes with the motor still audible, leaving little or no forward visibility at highway speed. Some report the wiper assembly or wiper motor being replaced, and a few say the repair was covered as a known condition while others paid for it themselves. Reported from roughly 30,000 to 180,000 miles, typically in rain while driving.

   What to check: Cycle the wipers through all speeds and check that they park correctly; ask whether the wiper motor or transmission assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving in the rain, my wipers suddenly stopped in the up position and wouldn't move. The motor was still working because you could hear it cycling, but the wipers wouldn't move. Fortunately the rain wasn't very heavy, I was driving on city streets able to get home safely despite the impaired visibility. Had this happened on the highway in some of the recent rain we have experienced this would have been a very dangerous situation.”

   NHTSA complaint #11361044, filed 2020-09, 121,000 miles

   “The front windshield wipers stopped working while we were driving on the interstate during a torrential downpour. We were in the middle of three lanes of traffic but were eventually able to move over and pull off the highway safely. This equipment failure could have had a tragic ending for us and the other motorists around us. We understand there were recalls for 2013 models for this failure. Not sure why a recall hasn't been done on 2012 models.”

   NHTSA complaint #11350967, filed 2020-08, 74,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 64 complaints (18%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2026

   Complaints describe the engine quitting at speed, at stops, or on acceleration, sometimes with no warning light, and sometimes restarting only after a cool-down. Owners report repeated dealer visits where the problem could not be reproduced, and some repairs involved the engine control module, camshaft actuator solenoid, or fuel pump without a lasting fix. Spread across the sample from about 30,000 to 190,000 miles, at varied speeds and conditions.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has a history of stalling or repeated engine-control repairs, and take a test drive that includes a cold start and steady acceleration.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle began to use excessive amount of oil and idel up and down and sometimes even shuts down. After about 3 months while driving on the interstate it began to shut down while in motion. I called for someone to check the vehicle out and he arrived called someone to check the vehicle and he actually told me it seems to be the motor gone bad but he asked would I drive it back home if he followed behind. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11396131, filed 2021-02, 168,978 miles

   “I was driving my sons to school at around 7:45 am, my vehicle cut-off in rush hour traffic. I had to quickly put on my hazards and flag the vehiclesin my lane and driving behind me to move ahead of me. I called Gmc who told me to go the nearest dealership but my insurance said they would send me a tow truck to get me there. The car was towed to rockville center Gmc which diagnosed the vehicle. They charged the battery and claimed a cable was loose but that didn't make any sense. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11353620, filed 2020-09, 33,900 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and non-deployment concerns

   • 23 complaints (6%)
   • median 99,500 mi at 5.9 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2025

   Complaints describe the service airbag message appearing intermittently and the passenger-side airbag showing as inoperable, plus accounts of airbags not deploying in collisions and impact sensors found bad. One owner reported an airbag deploying while the vehicle was parked. Usually reported above about 90,000 miles, often after a collision or during unrelated diagnostics.

   What to check: Confirm the airbag warning light goes out after startup and ask for any airbag system diagnostics or repairs in the service history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On feb 10, 2020 I was involved in a side impact crash when a large truck failed to stop at a red light. I took the vehicle in for repairs as the front quarter panel and wheel were damaged. The collision shop called today and stated that all four of my impact sensors are dead . He said I was very lucky because there is no way I would've known that my airbags wouldn't have deployed and I very likely would've been seriously injured or killed. There was no warning light on the dash, and no code. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11309913, filed 2020-02, 137,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2012 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the front driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed without an impact to the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 148,116.”

   NHTSA complaint #11662388, filed 2025-05, 148,116 miles

Buying note. These vehicles are commonly checked for oil consumption first: verify the oil level, look for consumption records, and ask about any engine work. Have a pre-purchase inspection also test the wipers, headlamp connectors, and airbag warning light, since those appear repeatedly in owner complaints.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.